Festool Track Saw--Wow!!!

[Lisa Starr]

As some of you know, I just purchased a gently use Festool Track Saw with several accessories for 33% of new or a bit less. I've used it for 2 tasks now and all I can say is WOW!. First I had to trim a piece of 3/4" CDX plywood. Even with that nasty stuff, there was no chipping and I loved how easy it was to set the track where I wanted the cut. This morning, I had 2 door slabs to hang and both need height and width trimmed. Again, the track saw made it easy and the cuts were flawless. Obviously, I waited w-a-y too long for this purchase!

[Jamie Buxton]

Festool ships the TS55 with a blade optimized for chip-free cutting of veneer and melamine surfaces -- lots of teeth, and a negative tooth angle. That blade doesn't rip solid lumber very well -- it is kinda like trying to cut wood with a hacksaw. You'll probably find you should acquire a general-purpose blade too.

Added later... I might also say that the TS55 is a major tool in my arsenal.

[Brian Holcombe]

I agree with Jamie, the right blade makes the most of this tool. The fine tooth ATB blade is good for laminates/plywood/thin crosscut but a rip blade is required for rip cutting solid wood.

[Lisa Starr]

Thanks Jamie and Brian. I actually got five Festool Blades in addition the one on the saw with my purchase. He has them labeled by usage such as "Ripping", "Aluminum", "Crosscut" etc. I haven't taken time to look the part numbers up to ascertain that they are labeled correctly, but it appears so.

[Rob Charles]

Glad to read you like the saw. I have come to depend upon mine.

[Doug Garson]

Is there a typo in your OP? Did you pay 33& of new price or 33% off new price​? 33% off on Festool is a steal, 33% of new price is grand larceny.

[Lisa Starr]

Doug, No typo. I paid 33% of new price.

[Frederick Skelly]

Doug, No typo. I paid 33% of new price.

Good for you! I'm "green" with envy. (Pun intended.) I never find deals like that around here. :( Enjoy that fine tool!

[Larry Edgerton]

I just used mine on some very expensive steel siding, cutting from the backside with a negitive hook blade made for that purpose. Worked perfectly! I too find new uses continually as well. one word of caution, if you do a plunge cut, make sure you use the supplied stop on the track, just saying..........

[Mark Hockenberg]

Hi Lisa,

Glad to hear you scored on your purchase. You'll love the saw and the system.

Since you saved so much on the saw, you should take a look at the TSO Products GRS-16 PE Parallel Edge Guide Rail Square. It is invaluable for making fast, dead square cuts. I fussed with the Festool angle unit, squares and measuring before settling on the TSO square. It blows away all other options IMO.

Cheers,
Mark

[Jack Frederick]

I have had the 55 for several years. The enclosed photo shows a cut made in the floor when we re-modeled the place. That trap door is about 2.5x5’. The flooring was run solid over the door and we made the cut after finish. As Far as I am concerned the saw paid for itself on that one cut.

[Lisa Starr]

Mark, So far I've been setting the track square with the Woodpecker 26X16 Square that was thrown in on the deal. I'll keep your recommendation in mind if I want something different in the future.

[Jack Frederick]

Lisa, be aware that there was a recall on the 55 a few years back. Might want to check the ser #.

[Patrick Kane]

I have the TS75, and its made me more than enough money to pay for itself. operations like the one Jack illustrates above are ones where the saw is uniquely poised to make a difficult situation stupid easy. I use mine less now that i have a slider, but it is still very useful for cutting odd miters, where its easier to cut to a line than to measure an angle. I dislike angling my crosscut fence too.

Last week there was a TS55 without a track for sale in Pittsburgh for $50. I was too lazy to drive 45 mins to go get it, and instead planned on meeting the guy after work on Monday. His house was maybe 5 min from my office. Long story short, it sold before I made it to work on Monday. Festool deals do exist, they just arent common.

[Ben Rivel]

LOVE my TS 55!

[Rich Engelhardt]

where the saw is uniquely poised to make a difficult situation stupid easy.Exactly! I've lost track of the times I've read a post here where someone will ask "How do I .......?" and I think, "If you had a track saw, we wouldn't be having this discussion".

[Mike Cutler]

Track saws are nice. I also have the TS75
I've been cutting a lot of plywood lately for some house projects, and it is very nice to just work off the tailgate of the truck. A few sawhorses for a makeshift bench, and know the cut is exactly what you want.
Muscling sheets of plywood, or MDF, is just a pain.

That Woodpecker Square you got with the deal is really nice. Worked in concert with the guide rail, you know that you're about as dead on 90 degrees, as you're going to get.

[Jim Becker]

'Glad you love the saw, Lisa. I'm very fond of mine.

Track saws are extremely useful tools, both in the shop and out of the shop. Aside from the obvious uses, they can also be problem solvers, such as when one needs to trim an already assembled cabinet or whatever. I recently bought a short track from a 'Creeker that will make those kinds of tasks even easier.

[Will Blick]

Good luck with your TS system Lisa, smart purchase, great find!
I also am a big fan of track saws.... I have the TS75 and TS55.
My TS 55 is the battery version, very impressive...no cords of any type!!!
Festool claims it can cut 3/4" ply 100yds on a single charge, more than I will ever do.
dust collection in the bag is way better than I expected. Prob. 90% as good as vac. Ridding the elect and dust hose, has taken the TS55 to another level, mainly ease of use, as I hated fussin with the vac hose. This is just an FYI for anyone considering a track saw.

Interestingly enough, I read an article in the last year on Track saw comparisons, and surprisingly, the other brands did as good or better than Festool, which surprised me. Shows how the competion is catching up. Also, just an FYI if someone is considering a rail system, as Festool price shocks just about everyone.

Setting the rail on long cuts is still not simple if u want real accuracy...tried several after market products, all come close, but in the end, I still end up measuring, as I ruined too many cuts trying to save time. Again oNLY when extreme accuracy really matters.

Great advise from other posters regarding the blades... using the right blade is half the battle... as well as the splinter guard when cutting woods that tend to splinter.

The other issue I had, was where / how to cut sheets down. I settled on building an outdoor cutting station, 5ft x 10ft, which also doubles as an assembly table. Its supported by 2 saw horses, with a 2x4 skeleton frame which I leveled. On top sits a 2.5" thick dense styrofoam. I still put cheap Home Depot pink foam sheets under the sheet goods. The 5x10' stryofoam custom top was $300, cheaper to cut up the 1" thick HD foam and replace em. I put a LEG UP on the side as seen in pix, (yellow), this enables easy one person sheet lift onto the table top, even 100lb sheets are easy with this clever device. They are made for stationairy table saws for one-person sheet lifts. Anyway, I am too old to be cutting on the floor, and too hard to find FLAT surfaces this large, so this was my solution. It also frees up shop space... styrofoam can withstand the elements.

By the time I completed my Festools TS's and all accessories, I could have bought a slider, but dont have the space for it, so the Festool rail system was a good option for me.

414840

[Derek Arita]

Love my Festool saw. Only thing I can't figure out how to do is ripping thin boards.

[Mike Cutler]

Love my Festool saw. Only thing I can't figure out how to do is ripping thin boards.

Put two boards together, edge to edge, with double sided sticky tape. They both move together as a single, wider, board.
Of course this only works if they're the same thickness.
I ripped a bunch of 2-3/4" wide battens to match my siding this way. Even with rough cut wood, it worked very well. I used clamps.

[Donn Ward]

I have had the 55 for several years. The enclosed photo shows a cut made in the floor when we re-modeled the place. That trap door is about 2.5x5’. The flooring was run solid over the door and we made the cut after finish. As Far as I am concerned the saw paid for itself on that one cut.

The floor, door and cut look great! That said, I can't help but wonder exactly how you managed this cut to get everything line up so nicely?